🥎 Jayhawks Notch Two Victories Saturday
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Jayhawk softball team won both games on day two of the Wooo Pig Classic. Kansas started the day with a 3-2 win over Drake followed by a 5-0 shutout over Northwestern State.
Kansas improves to 7-5 on the season marking the best start through 12 games under head coach Jennifer McFalls.
“I was happy that I had the ability to give some different players opportunities today,” McFalls said. “We have been looking for a spark from our bench. We got that today in both games from Kasey Hamilton and Morgyn Wynne.”
Game One vs. Drake – Won 3-2
Sydnee Ramsey was the first runner to get on base drawing a walk in the bottom of the first inning. Brittany Jackson and Tarin Travieso advanced her around with a sac bunt and a ground out. With Ramsey on third, Shelby Gayre singled into left field to put the Jayhawks up, 1-0.
The Jayhawks kept things rolling in the second inning that began with Ashlyn Anderson reaching on an error. Two batters later, Kasey Hamilton stepped to the plate for her first-career at bat as a Jayhawk and sent a two-run home run over the right-field fence to extend KU’s lead, 3-0.
“Kasey competes every day at practice,” McFalls said. “I’m not surprised that she hit a home run. There was a lot of energy and excitement flowing. It was good to see her settle in and get a big hit. It was a huge spark for us.”
Drake finally struck back the top of the sixth. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with only one out. While trying to field one and go home with it to get the lead runner, KU made a throwing error that allowed two runs to score.
After Drake scored, Kansas made the pitching change from Savanna DesRochers to Tatum Goff. With the change, the Jayhawks quickly got out of the inning and were able to shut the door in the seventh to capture the 3-2 victory.
DesRochers started in the second game of the season and picked up her first career win from the circle with 5.1 innings pitched and one strikeout. Goff is credited with the save after pitching 1.2 innings.
Game Two vs. Northwestern State – Won 5-0
The Jayhawks put up two runs early in the second game of the day that began with a single through the right side by Jackson. Jackson stole second, her third stolen base this season, and Travieso advanced her to third with a single to right field.
With runners on the corners, Gayre hit an RBI double into right field to score Jackson. Madison Hirsch followed with a single up the middle to score Travieso and give the Jayhawks a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
KU was able to get runners on in the second and third innings but left them both stranded as the teams traded outs back and forth for the next two innings.
NSU got its leadoff batter on in the top of the fourth inning, but KU got a fly out to right and then turned a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
The Jayhawks struck again in the bottom of the sixth inning that began with Anderson drawing a walk and Haleigh Harper getting hit by a pitch. Wynne came in to pinch hit for Hamilton and smoked a three-run homer into left field to extend KU’s lead to 5-0.
The Lady Demons attempted to rally in the top of the seventh by getting the first two batters on but Ramsey executed a solo-double play catching a line drive before tagging the runner leading off of second. The Jayhawks capped off the day fielding a grounder for the easy out at first to take the victory.
“Sydnee is typically pretty consistent for us defensively,” McFalls said. “She hit a bit of a rough patch this weekend, but she found the tools she needed to help finish off those double plays during crucial times to get us out of some innings today.”
Hailey Reed started in the circle for KU and improved to 4-2 on the season after pitching 6.0 innings with one strikeout. Senior Hannah Todd pitched the final frame.
Up Next
Kansas is back tomorrow to conclude action at the Wooo Pig Classic against Northwestern State at 11 a.m.
